Landslide in Peru buries at least 60 homes

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - A hillside collapsed in northern Peru on Tuesday, burying at least 60 homes with people inside, authorities said.

Six people have been reported missing so far after the landslide, which was caused by heavy rains in the area, buried multiple homes at 8:30 a.m. local time in the Andean village of Retamas in the La Libertad region.

​​"The landslide of the hill has covered approximately 60 to 80 houses. They have been completely buried,” said La Libertad Governor Manuel Llempen.

Videos posted on social media capture the moment the ground falls from a cliff over the village below and people desperately trying to free those trapped inside their homes.

The number of those missing could rise, said Retamas police commissioner Carlos Alberto Valderrama.

"The same people of the area, out of desperation to save their relatives, began to cut a hole in the interior of the Retamas municipal market. So far, four people have been rescued," he said, adding 100 people have been evacuated from their homes.

​​Several people trapped inside their homes were rescued by neighbors who made holes in walls and roofs to reach those inside, local media reported. Rescuers are still searching for survivors.

The incident ​​took place in an area where the company Consorcio Minero Horizonte carries out mining activities. The company said it has made its equipment available to assist in the rescue of those who may have been trapped.

According to the company, the landslide is not related to the mining activities it carries out but the result of heavy rains in the area that have caused similar landslides in previous days.

Peruvian President Pedro Castillo said authorities were coordinating actions to address the emergency.

“We will provide all necessary assistance to the affected families,” Castillo said on Twitter.